With the NHL season set to open tomorrow night, it’s everyone’s favorite time: prediction time.

We already know that the Bruins are pretty determined to repeat. And of all the recent Stanley Cup champions, they might be in the best position to do so.

Here’s a story I wrote for NHL.com about how the Bruins are approaching the challenge of repeating. I for one envision the Bruins making a strong postseason run this year, but too many things have to fall in place for them to hoist the Cup again. Most of all, I can’t imagine them ever being as healthy as they were last spring.

Stanley Cup champion: Chicago over NY Rangers. The balanced, talented Chicago squad manages to get past the “Cinderella” Rangers led by Henrik Lundqvist at the end of a Tim Thomas-like postseason run.

Hart TrophyAlexander Ovechkin, Washington
This is the year OV puts it all together at both ends of the rink. He’s challenge for 50 goals and play well defensively. Alas, his supporting cast will once again prove weak in the playoffs and he’ll have a whole new cast around him for 2012-13.

Norris TrophyDuncan Keith, Chicago
After a one-year absence, Chicago’s young stud blueliner will be on top of his game and make the Blackhawks a feared team that will have plenty left for a long playoff run.

Vezina TrophyNiklas Backstrom, Minnesota
Everyone’s so focused on the additions of Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi. But for the Wild to make their first playoff appearance in several years they’re going to need a career year from Backstrom, who will deliver and force people to take notice of his up-and-coming team.

Calder TrophyErik Gudbranson, Florida
The hodgepodge team in South Florida will struggle but one reason to watch the Cats will be the play of this young blueliner.

NO WAY do the Rangers win the East; they are sixth right now! I can’t see the Rangers getting that far. Look for them to do what they always do in the 2nd half of the season; CHOKE!!!!!!

As of this moment, people can say what they want but the team to beat in the East is Boston. All this talk about Crosby is sickening and REMEMBER EVERYONE, when the Pens had a healthy Crosby and Malkin last year, the Bruins came back from behind on them TWICE to hand them a thrashing.

Crosby is already cheap-shotting people and if he is not careful, somebody WILL take him out. The league can’t protect their golden haired boy when he runs around cheap-shotting guys. I hope he gets knocked out and the love-affair ends.

TIME TO MOVE ON NHL AND WRITERS; THERE ARE OTHER STORIES OUT THERE!!!!

RD
I don’t think its desire to want things to escalate, but Giroux did take a cheap shot at Bergeron. Teams need to back their teammates up, if someone feels they can take liberties with some of their team. The Flyers are notorious for cheap shots and stick work, while the Bruins are more physical regarding finishing their checks. The Flyers vs. the Habs is about the only time I root for Montreal.

I like Schieffle in Winterpeg for the Calder. I could see Doughty pushing for the Norris. Price for the Vezina and the ususal suspects for the Hart. San Jose and L.A have improved in the West. I think the B’s will be in the hunt.The East has gotten tighter though but it can be done.

99% of B’s checks are hard and clean…Paille’s check on Sawada last season resulted in a 4 game suspension.

The list: Cooke on Savard, Richards on Krejci, Giroux on Bergeron, Hartnell’s cheap shot on Chara, Rome on Horton and Burrows hit and bite on Bergeron.

Nobody wants to see a player injured but because the B’s are ‘clean’ bangers, it seems to me that other teams try to level the field by going after B’s with “cheap shots” because either they don’t check like the B’s or have players willing to do so.

Don’t wish to see Bergeron in a fight. He’s had 2 bad concussions that have kept him out for months. The next one could be his last.
I know you want to taste blood but I think a quick beating from a heavy like Lucic or Thornton would be the quickest way to put closure on it. If a guy like Krejci gets knocked out, it’s just going to escalate the whole thing.

Then again, I think half of you hope it escalates…

Matt, I agree with your picks but have trouble seeing the Rangers come out past Washington. I mean they have to win one day don’t they?

Seems a bit odd to pick a “Cinderella” team before the season even starts. A surprise team, yes, but Cinderalla, seems like a stretch. At this point, before the season even starts, I think predictions can only be based on talent/injuries/matchups etc, not Thomas-esque (Thomas-ian? Godlike?) performance of one goalie throughout the playoffs. While Richards makes the Rangers a better team, they still are very much lacking in depth, something that aided the Bruins throughout the playoff run.

Cormac
My order of picks for squaring up against Giroux
1 Lucic, 2 Sidenberg, 3 Thornton, 4 Boychuk, 5 Marchand, or maybe Bergeron himself. Giroux will not leave Boston tomorrow without some pain, that we can count on.

I was amazed at TSN’s top 50 players in the NHL. They only had one Bruin, Chara, in the top fifty. If they are picking in the parking lot, can you imagine any GM that would take Dany Heatley over Tim Thomas or Patrice Bergeron. Sidenberg, Lucic, and Krecji all would have a shot of making the top 50, if they consider all-around play. The Bruins win the Cup again, barring too many injuries, because they check and their physical play. The B’s are not too shabby when it comes to goaltending as well.